Transneuronal viral labelling of rat heart left ventricle controlling pathways.

Retrograde transneuronal viral labelling and immunocytochemical methods were used for revealing neuronal networks controlling the left ventricle myocardium of the rat heart. After injections of 1 microliter pseudorabies virus solution (3 x 10(6) PFU ml-1) into the left ventricle, infected orthosympathetic preganglionic cells were found in the intermediolateral cell groups of the first 6 thoracic spinal segments. Preganglionic parasympathetic neurones were seen both in the nucleus ambiguus/retro-ambiguus area and the dorsal motor vagus nucleus. Large numbers of infected projecting interneurones were found in the rostral, caudal and medial parts of the ventral medulla oblongata, the Kölliker-Fuse nucleus and catecholaminergic cell group A5 and in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus.